Remembering Our FounderThis week five years ago, Bill Arce, the founder of International Sports Group, passed away. It is so hard to measure the impact that Coach Arce had on the game of baseball world wide. His idea of sharing the knowledge of some of the great minds in the game with the fledgling baseball programs springing up in Europe and elsewhere became a reality mostly because of Bill's persuasiveness. He convinced several sporting goods manufacturers that the American pastime could blossom with their financial help and moral support.
So in 1985, Coach Arce, Tom Petroff and the late Jack Stallings - a couple coaching buddies who no doubt had their arms twisted firmly by the persuasive Californian - headed off to Holland carrying a bunch of Easton bats and a slew of reproduced drills to begin a coaching educational journey which, although hampered recently by the pandemic, continues today. Surely he's smiling down on the world today knowing that the torch he lit back then is still lit and burns brighter than ever. Thanks so much Bill! Thinking of you today. 
Coach Bill Arce always brought the best of the best with him to clinics he led for ISG. The photo above was taken in 1999 during an ISG clinic in Italy. (From left: Current ISG VP Pete Caliendo, Bobby Simpson, Coach Arce, Italy Federation President
Aldo Natari, ISG Board Member Ron Maestri, Ken Ravizza)
Caliendo Named to COPABE Staff
Congratulations to our Vice-President Peter Caliendo who was recently appointed to a prestigious post as a member of the Confederation of Pan American Countries technical committee to officiate at their baseball tournaments.
COPABE, as the Pan American Baseball Federation is known, represents 29 countries in the Western hemisphere and is the governing body of baseball in the Americas. The Technical Committee oversees rules and officiating at all tournaments sanctioned by the organization. Caliendo also holds a similar position with the World Baseball Softball Confederation and has served that organization during the Olympics and World Baseball Classics in the past. |
Meet the ISG Baseball Board - This month John Vodenlich
see our "About Us" page Provide a Safe Team Climate for Your Players - see below.
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Planning Underway for Clinics in Late 2021
For the first time in 35 years of serving coaching federations around the globe, ISG Baseball did not conduct any coaches educational programs during the fall or winter of 2020-21. The unprecedented move came after a long period of soul searching by our Board of Directors.
Recently, however, there is optimism that many nations will have a much improved scenario later this year. To that end, we at ISG Baseball are closely monitoring the fluid situation world-wide and are tentatively planning for the possibility that we may be able to conduct some coaching educational clinics later this year.
If your Federation is hoping to hold an ISG clinic later this coming winter and would to be considered, please let us know by contacting us soon.
Below is the text of a letter recently sent to our contacts:
To all of our Federation friends,
We at ISG Baseball have finally seen some signs that the situation in the world in respect to the pandemic seems to be moving toward improving. These signs are encouraging, but we also know that the situation in each country is extremely fluid.
I am writing to you today to let you know that we have been doing some interior planning in the hopes that the situation will improve enough that we may be able to begin offering coaches educational clinics again by this coming winter.
There are still many unanswered questions that have to be answered before we can begin planning in earnest, but we want to keep you informed as we progress towards a more "normal" world.
I have asked our Board members to contact those Federations with whom we have worked in the past and find out if scheduling a clinic next winter would be in their plans. If you have not received a communication from us and are interested in information regarding hosting an ISG Baseball Clinic in your nation, please let me know soon.
Here's hoping we will be able to send a clinic team to your nation and continue the work of growing our great game together.
Sincerely,
Tom O'Connell
President
ISG Baseball
Recently, however, there is optimism that many nations will have a much improved scenario later this year. To that end, we at ISG Baseball are closely monitoring the fluid situation world-wide and are tentatively planning for the possibility that we may be able to conduct some coaching educational clinics later this year.
If your Federation is hoping to hold an ISG clinic later this coming winter and would to be considered, please let us know by contacting us soon.
Below is the text of a letter recently sent to our contacts:
To all of our Federation friends,
We at ISG Baseball have finally seen some signs that the situation in the world in respect to the pandemic seems to be moving toward improving. These signs are encouraging, but we also know that the situation in each country is extremely fluid.
I am writing to you today to let you know that we have been doing some interior planning in the hopes that the situation will improve enough that we may be able to begin offering coaches educational clinics again by this coming winter.
There are still many unanswered questions that have to be answered before we can begin planning in earnest, but we want to keep you informed as we progress towards a more "normal" world.
I have asked our Board members to contact those Federations with whom we have worked in the past and find out if scheduling a clinic next winter would be in their plans. If you have not received a communication from us and are interested in information regarding hosting an ISG Baseball Clinic in your nation, please let me know soon.
Here's hoping we will be able to send a clinic team to your nation and continue the work of growing our great game together.
Sincerely,
Tom O'Connell
President
ISG Baseball
Team Climate Tips For Youth Sports Coaches
(This article appeared on the Positive Coaching Alliance website and its philosophy is shared by the ISG Baseball Board of Directors whose members heartily endorse joining that great organization!)
Keeping children safe and preventing bullying on your team is an important task for a coach. The steps described in the attachment help coaches cultivate pro-social behavior that supports team success, in part by ensuring the youth athletes' emotional safety.
Awareness is an important first step. Avoid tunnel vision, split your attention, and keep track of the emotional and physical state of all team members. Another key step is to set boundaries early and stop any problems as soon as they arise.
When addressing any problem, stay in charge and delegate only when appropriate. For example, adults often tell children to “solve it yourself,” but that is only appropriate for children of an age and maturity level at which they can assess and understand their own behaviors and consequences. And, if you need help from other adults to ensure safety, seek out peers and supervisors when necessary.
This attached resource stems from a Positive Coaching Alliance Trusted Resource - Kidpower - a nonprofit leader in abuse and violence prevention for children and adults. Kidpower makes it FUN to learn about being safe, rather than scary. Caring adults can use the Kidpower Method™ to protect children and teens from bullying, child abuse, abduction, and other violence.
Open the .pdf here: Climate Tips for Coaches
Keeping children safe and preventing bullying on your team is an important task for a coach. The steps described in the attachment help coaches cultivate pro-social behavior that supports team success, in part by ensuring the youth athletes' emotional safety.
Awareness is an important first step. Avoid tunnel vision, split your attention, and keep track of the emotional and physical state of all team members. Another key step is to set boundaries early and stop any problems as soon as they arise.
When addressing any problem, stay in charge and delegate only when appropriate. For example, adults often tell children to “solve it yourself,” but that is only appropriate for children of an age and maturity level at which they can assess and understand their own behaviors and consequences. And, if you need help from other adults to ensure safety, seek out peers and supervisors when necessary.
This attached resource stems from a Positive Coaching Alliance Trusted Resource - Kidpower - a nonprofit leader in abuse and violence prevention for children and adults. Kidpower makes it FUN to learn about being safe, rather than scary. Caring adults can use the Kidpower Method™ to protect children and teens from bullying, child abuse, abduction, and other violence.
Open the .pdf here: Climate Tips for Coaches
Baseball Canada's Vision for Long Term Athletic Development Shared in Coaching Tips Section
Baseball Canada is miles ahead of the curve when it comes to developing athletes for life-long success. Thanks to our friend Andre Lachance, they have allowed us to share the scope of that vision with you. Check out our coaching tips section for a graphic illustration of their LTAD plans.
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